Word of Salvation – Vol. 22 No. 20 – January 1976

 

On The Mount Of The Lord It Shall Be Provided

 

Sermon by the Rev. P. G. Van Dam, M.Sc., B.D. on Genesis 22:14

Scripture Reading: Genesis 22:1-14

Psalter Hymnal: 233:6,7,8 (with law); 491 (with creed); 228:1,7,9; 165; 129

 

We all know the account of Abraham as he is called by God to sacrifice his only son Isaac on Mount Moriah.

As is often the case with certain parts of God's Word there are a number of teachings here from which we shall have to make a selection.

No doubt, one of the first thoughts which would occur with us is the question how Abraham must have felt.  True, Scripture does not mention his feelings, except on one point to which we shall refer later.

But just imagine if God would ask this same sacrifice from us.  For this account which we have just read does touch our own souls.  Would not we have felt as though the bottom had dropped out of our lives?

Yes, God does sometimes take a child unto Himself.  But to ask of us that we ourselves should sacrifice one of our children.......?!

What would we do?

Our own child; this is not much less than our own lives.

Moreover we already find it so difficult often to sacrifice just a little of our time, or little of our money.  And we could think of many excuses why we should not (even if all of these excuses are invalid before our God).  Yet, no matter how happy we are with all we have, God may suddenly ask the lot; take it all from us!

But if God does take from us what we have, He always does it for that one purpose: that we learn to TRUST IN HIM.  In Him alone, and not in what WE HAVE or in who WE ARE.  For THIS world will pass away.  Trust in Him because in Jesus Christ He is our faithful Father in Whom we so trust that not a hair shall fall off our head without His will (Heid.Cat.L.D.1).

At the same time He may want to remind us that all we have, our homes, our CHILDREN, our possession, ARE REALLY HIS; not ours!  And that we have all we have, in order that with all we have, we will serve Him alone!  He alone is our Maker, our Saviour and our Keeper!

And THEREFORE we will put all our trust in Him, IRRESPECTIVE of our conditions.  And not because we can understand Him, or know what He will do.  No, ONLY because He is OUR God and OUR Father.

Trust Him 'ON HIS WORD'.

Trust that all things WILL work out for the good of those who love Him.

Trust, even if we may be down-hearted, or in sorrow; in order that PRECISELY THEN we shall have peace.

It is THAT trust which is the content of our faith, its joy, its strength!

So it was with Abraham!

He could not have understood why God should have asked of him to sacrifice his son; his only son Isaac.  For had not God promised him that his descendants would be like the dust of the earth (Gen.13.16)?

Yet, 'Abraham, take your son, your only son Isaac whom you love'.  No doubt these words must have cut right through Abraham's soul.

And Abraham goes.  In Heb.11.17 we read: 'By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac...!'

'When he was TESTED.'  We read of this TEST in Genesis also, in verse 1.  To test his faith, his trust.

Abraham goes.  Apparently without much rebellion.  For we read in Heb.11 (vs19): "He considered that God was able to raise men even from the dead; hence figuratively speaking he did receive him back'.

Abraham was not in despair!  For this was the language of FAITH!  The language of faith in at least two ways.

1.  It is the language of faith which looks beyond the limits of this temporary life in this temporary world.

2.  It is the faith which takes seriously – and finds its comfort in – the promises of the covenant; in the covenant which God made with His people and with His children.  The covenant which God had established with Abraham and his descendants throughout their generations (Gen.17)!

His was the language of faith which has its VICTORY in the sure promises of God that He, our covenant God, will raise us and our children from the dead!

This is the peace, the REALITY of our faith that God is our God AND the God of our children!  Not only in this life but also in the life to come!  O yes, Isaac, as all of us and OUR CHILDREN, have deserved to die!  There is no place in Scripture for the pious notion that little children are innocent!  With the Form for Baptism we believe that the Word of God teaches us that our children also are partakers of the condemnation of Adam!  Nevertheless, when Abraham is about to put his son Isaac to death God stops him.....!  And we have read how God Himself had provided a ram to be sacrificed in Isaac's place.

His son did not have to die.  A symbolic teaching of the promise of our COVENANT God that they will not have to die; that they will not have to die the death of God's judgment!

That although by nature they share in the condemnation of Adam God has promised that — in the words of Abraham — 'He Himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering' instead (Genesis 22.8);

As we must believe the sure promise of our God that in His Son He provided the sacrifice to take the place of the sacrifice our children had deserved in Adam.  To take our place and that of our children.

No, we and our children need not be sacrificed upon an altar for burnt offering anymore.  The New Testament church has no altars of stone anymore.  It knows the ONE altar only: the cross upon which God Himself provided the only true sacrifice when His Son died in our place, and as we must believe His promise, in the place of our children also.

Abraham called the name of that place: "The Lord will provide', as it is said to this day: 'On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided."

Mount Moriah: the mount of salvation!

Mount Moriah: it points to that one mountain on which stood the one true altar upon which God Himself provided the one true sacrifice.

And we have asked ourselves the question: how must Abraham have felt when God told him to sacrifice his only son whom he loved.  If we may speak human language and express human thoughts here: how must God have felt when HE sacrificed HIS ONLY SON.'  And He did not HAVE to do it!  He did it only because of His great love for us AND for our children!

Mount Moriah; it also was the mount on which, later, Jerusalem was to be built!  Jerusalem, with its temple in which God dwelt in the midst of His own people.

Mount Moriah.  On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided!

Mount Moriah; it points to the church where God dwells in the midst of his people today; in our midst!  And where He provides in the needs of our souls and lives.  Through the proclamation of His Word and in sealing unto His people and their children the promises of His Word for them in the Sacraments.

Where He Himself seals unto us and unto our children the assurance of that promise: 'On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.'  Because He is the God of the covenant with His people.  That is to say: the God Who has assured us that He WILL BE FAITHFUL to His people.

Therefore, in the bringing up of our children in the world of to-day with all its uncertainties and evil we MAY NOT be ruled by the fear of what the world might do to them!

The rule of fear is that of unbelief; it amounts to the denial of the faithfulness of our God.  Of the God Who has shown this faithfulness in the sacrifice of His only Son.  In the work of His Spirit through which He keeps His people.  His church against which the gates of hell shall not prevail.

Instead, He expects and demands of us that WE live BY HIS FAITHFULNESS.  For it is FAITHFULNESS which is the mark of the covenant!  It is HIS PROMISE.  It is OUR CONDITION.  If we believe that God is faithful to us and to our children then we must show that faith in our faithfulness to Him, our only God and Father.  LIVE in faithfulness to the God Who has so exceedingly loved us.  AND our children!

Then we will want our CHILDREN to know Him DEDICATE THEM to Him in the way of our own faithfulness to Him.

And this raises one more question.  An important one.

No, because God sacrificed His own Son to death He will not want us to sacrifice our sons, our children to death.  For He is faithful in the promises He made to us and to them of all the benefits of the work of Christ in His sacrifice, His death and His resurrection.

Instead, as we have just seen He demands our faithfulness to Him.  In other words: the sacrifice of our hearts!  Not of our children, but of our hearts!  As the condition of His covenant!

Not the sacrifice of our children, but the sacrifice of our hearts!

Well, what would you sooner do?  Sacrifice your hearts to Him?  Or sacrifice your children; sacrifice that is to the Liar, to the Destroyer, to 'the Prince of the power of the air, the Spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience' (Eph.2.2).

For this is true, if you do not sacrifice your heart to the God Who is your only hope and the only hope of your children in HIS faithfulness, you will sacrifice your children to death.  As far as the failure of your commitment to the covenant is concerned you will also let your children fail the covenant, unless God in His grace forbid.

Again, what would you sooner do?

*  *  *  *  *  *

See, when God had stopped Abraham from sacrificing his son, Abraham did not just take his son and walk off.

The bringing of a burnt offering is the bringing of an offering of THANKSGIVING.  Before they left for home Abraham took the ram and gave thanks.

Well then how are you going to go home after you yourselves have been on Mount Moriah this morning/afternoon, WITH YOUR CHILDREN!  Will you show them the way of thanksgiving, and explain that you are giving thanks for His faithfulness to you, AND TO YOUR CHILDREN!  For haven't you seen the salvation of the Lord far more clearly yet than Abraham?

Amen.